בֹּ֤ושָׁה אִמְּכֶם֙ מְאֹ֔ד חָפְרָ֖ה יֹֽולַדְתְּכֶ֑ם הִנֵּה֙ אַחֲרִ֣ית גֹּויִ֔ם מִדְבָּ֖ר צִיָּ֥ה וַעֲרָבָֽה׃
Your mother is greatly ashamed, she who bore you is disgraced. Behold, the last of the nations is a wilderness, a dry land and a desert plain.
Morphology
- בֹּושָׁה (boshah) – Root: בושׁ; Form: Qal perfect 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “is ashamed”; Notes: Refers to Babylon personified as “mother.”
- אִמְּכֶם (immekhem) – Root: אם; Form: Noun feminine singular + 2nd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your mother”; Notes: Symbolic for Babylon, mother of the people.
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “greatly”; Notes: Intensifies the shame.
- חָפְרָה (ḥafrah) – Root: חפר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “is disgraced/put to shame”; Notes: Parallel to בֹּושָׁה for emphasis.
- יֹולַדְתְּכֶם (yoledetkhem) – Root: ילד; Form: Qal participle feminine singular + 2nd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “she who bore you”; Notes: Refers again to Babylon as the bearer of her people.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Introduces the prophetic vision.
- אַחֲרִית (aḥarit) – Root: אחר; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “end/last”; Notes: Refers to destiny or final state.
- גּוֹיִם (goyim) – Root: גוי; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Babylon is here called “the last of the nations.”
- מִדְבָּר (midbar) – Root: דבר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “wilderness”; Notes: Depicts Babylon’s desolation.
- צִיָּה (tsiyyah) – Root: ציה; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “dry land”; Notes: Reinforces arid, lifeless imagery.
- וַעֲרָבָה (va-ʿaravah) – Root: ערב; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and a desert plain”; Notes: Parallel imagery of barrenness, completing the triad of desolation.